US-India Trade Deal 'Almost Done' in Principle, Says Ambassador Sergio Gor

Almost everything" about the US-India trade deal is done "in principle," said Sergio Gor. The US ambassador to India also sought to draw a distinction between Congress pushing for a 100% tariff on countries buying Russian oil and the position of the US administration, especially that of President Donald Trump.

The bill is being "pushed by the Congress in a very bipartisan way," he said at The Economic Times World Leaders Forum (WLF) on Saturday. "This is not something that you have seen the White House advocate. You won't find a clip of President Trump pushing it."

While acknowledging that the bill "impacts India," he pointed out that "President (Trump) from day one has been wanting to end this war between Russia and Ukraine, and he's determined."

The US ambassador added that the tariff bill had been passed by the Senate in "an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote." The Russia-Ukraine conflict needs to end. "It's vitally important to us that at some point, this war stops," he said. "It's week after week you watch what is happening over there as a travesty on both sides."

On the US-India trade deal, Gor said the US is currently "reconfiguring" some of the "text" of the deal. The "trade deal is, in principle, almost everything is done." The time it's taking to get finalised is due to the legal technical language that needs to be sorted out, he said, adding that the US-India relationship will "define the global stage."

The country's importance to the US is reflected in the number of top administration officials visiting the country. "India matters to us, and we want to have the highest individuals from our government being here and participating," Gor said. "So not only was Secretary Rubio here for five days in May, he's coming back for another several-day trip in October. That's unheard of for us."

Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have a “deep and personal friendship,” Gor said. “They are both forward leaning, and they want action fast, and they’re results-driven. Our President has tremendous respect for the Prime Minister.”

The ambassador said that President Trump “actually thinks that Prime Minister Modi stood by him during even the difficult times,” particularly after he was defeated in the 2020 elections. When Trump was out of office for four years, “a lot of people from around the world criticised the President.”

But, Gor emphasised, “India did not. Your Prime Minister Modi did not.” The president remembers that, Gor said. “So he (Trump) holds that friendship in a very special place,” the ambassador said. “When you’re up, when you’re in the Oval Office, everybody wants to be your friend. But when you’re out, that’s when you can really realise who your friends are. And Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a true friend to him at that time, and so that makes this relationship work because they trust each other.”

When asked about the US-China relationship and the US backing the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey given India’s adversarial relationship with the adjoining country, Gor said, “You can’t pick who your neighbours are.” He added that the US has bilateral relationships with everyone around the world. “And the reality is, whether we like it or not, we have to work with the governments that are there.”